Grammar Info

N4 Lesson 6: 5/16

()ってもいい

You could say, You might say

Structure

Verb + いってもいい
[い]Adjective + いってもいい
[な]Adjective + () + いってもいい
Noun + () + いってもいい

Details

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About といってもいい

()ってもいい is a common expression in Japanese which literally means 'even if you say (A), it is good/ok'. This is translated more naturally as 'you could say (A)', or 'you might say (A)'.

As the at the beginning of the phrase is the 'quotation' use of the particle, ()ってもいい may be used after almost any statement that the speaker wants to quote.

Fun Fact

Most grammatical structures in Japanese that use ()う will often appear without kanji. This is simply to make them easier to recognize as a grammar pattern, rather than a standard word in a sentence. This is also true for patterns that include ()く, or ().

Examples

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    このワイン()やすいといってもいい

    One might say that this is a palatable wine.

    (かれ)とてもいい(ひと)だといってもいいです

    You might say that he is a very good person.

    あの()(さかな)のように(およ)げるといってもいいです

    You might say that that kid can swim like a fish.

    (かれ)全然(ぜんぜん)日本語(にほんご)出来(でき)ないといってもいい

    You could say that he can't speak a word of Japanese.

    あの二人(ふたり)()()ているといってもいいだろう

    You might say that they are together. (Dating)

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      といってもいい – Grammar Discussion

      Most Recent Replies (2 in total)

      • deltacat3

        deltacat3

        In this example sentence has me a little stumped…

        彼は早くて、ウサイン・ボルトに勝てると言ってもいい。
        You could say that he is fast enough to beat Usain Bolt.

        Why is Usain Bolt marked by the particle に, and why is 勝つ “to win” in the progressive tense?
        Before enabling translation I read this as “You could say he is fast and beating Usain Bolt”.

        I hope I am not asking to many questions, thank you in advance!

      • Pushindawood

        Pushindawood

        @deltacat3 「だれだれ勝つ」 means “to beat someone” or “win against someone.” “勝てる” is not the progressive tense but the potential form of 勝つ. So, 「ウサイン・ボルトに勝つ」 means “to beat Usain Bolt” or “to win against Usain Bolt.” 「ウサイン・ボルトに勝てる」therefore means “to be able to win against Usain Bolt” or “to be able to beat Usain Bolt.” Cheers!

        P.S. に負ける means “to lose against.” So, 「ウサイン・ボルトに負けない」 could also work, as it means “to not lose to Usain Bolt.”

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